Denver Broncos / NFL

Brock Osweiler catches Broncos' attention as QB in NFL draft

Brock Osweiler was tall enough to get away with throwing somewhat sidearm at Arizona State but has adjusted his motion for the NFL. (Getty Images file)

In the B.P. era — Before Peyton — the Broncos were on the hunt for a developmental quarterback in this year's NFL draft.

With 11-time Pro Bowl selection
Peyton Manning on the roster, the Broncos still are in search mode for a young, up-and-coming passer to have behind the future Hall of Famer, but they can be a little more patient for that prospect to develop.

"It's an important position in putting your team together, and we want to be as strong as possible on the roster in as many spots as possible," Broncos executive vice president of football operations John Elway said. "We know what we have in Peyton and we're excited, but we're always going to look at the quarterbacks."

On this year's draft board, the quarterbacks the Broncos have spent the most time with are Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden and Arizona State's Brock Osweiler, who has an edge if only because he's seven years younger than Weeden.

The team put Weeden through a private workout and then had him do an extended sit-down with team officials in the days before Manning's first visit to the Broncos' Dove Valley complex. Manning was on the Broncos' plane when team officials returned to Denver from their visit with Weeden in Stillwater, Okla. Elway, general manager Brian Xanders and coach John Fox led a contingent to put Osweiler through the on-field paces in Tempe, Ariz., late last month.

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"We saw a lot of good things in both places," Elway said. "I think both those guys showed very well."

Osweiler, at 6-foot-7, 245 pounds, is the tallest quarterback on the draft board. One of the concerns about the former Gonzaga basketball recruit as a potential NFL passer is that he played "smaller" in the pocket because of a sidearm motion at times with his elbow too low, which made it appear he was pushing the ball.

But after working with former Sun Devils offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone, now at UCLA, Osweiler showed the Broncos a far more upright delivery in his private workout, with a consistently higher release point.

"Since I've been to college, we've kind of slowly adjusted my throwing motion with each season. I've worked on it a lot," Osweiler said. "Coach Mazzone has done a tremendous job with it, and we've done things all the way through, not just leading up to (the draft). We've done a lot of work just to make sure my elbow is where it needs to be."

While most scouts believe Osweiler would have benefited from another year in college football, the Sun Devils were moving to a more spread-option offense under new coach Todd Graham, certainly not the most beneficial system for a quarterback who is the size of an NBA forward.

"I don't feel like there has ever been a quarterback who is 6-7, 240 pounds and has the athleticism I do and can make every throw on the football field," Osweiler said. "I feel good about what I can do."

Most teams in the league see Osweiler as a second-day pick in this draft, most likely in the second round, but also concede if, for some reason, a fierce quarterback run begins Thursday night, Osweiler could find himself as a surprise opening-round pick.

When Weeden, 28, was prominent on the Broncos' radar, the pursuit of Manning was just beginning and Tim Tebow was still the team's starting quarterback. At that time, Weeden was seen as a mature player ready to play quickly and handle working in the swirl of public interest around Tebow. Weeden will turn 29 during his rookie season because he didn't play college football until he had finished a stint in minor-league baseball.

With Manning having signed a five-year contract and planning to play through most or all of the deal if he remains healthy, the Broncos' focus has shifted toward Osweiler, 21, and others.

The Broncos also have spent plenty of time with and evaluating Wisconsin's Russell Wilson, Michigan State's Kirk Cousins, San Diego State's Ryan Lindley and Boise State's Kellen Moore. Lindley is the biggest of the four, at 6-4, 229 pounds, but has struggled with accuracy. The other three quarterbacks are battling questions about size or arm strength — or in Moore's case, both.

Moore, however, went 50-3 as a starter, making him the winningest quarterback in major-college football history, and is considered a quick thinker. Teams wonder if he can consistently deliver the ball downfield and wonder about his durability over the long haul, given he weighs only 197 pounds.

Wilson has top athleticism, a powerful arm and quality leadership qualities. But he is in the 6-foot-and-under crowd.

Cousins, at 6-2½, 209 pounds, is the biggest of the three. He has earned praise for his work at the Senior Bowl and for his general competitiveness, and he was just the second three-time captain in Michigan State history.

"You've done what you can do in games. There aren't any more, so it is what it is, bottom line," Moore said. "You're going to get an opportunity to play football, and once you get that opportunity, essentially it's up to you. You can't predict the future, so you just try to do what you can right now."

Jeff Legwold: legwold@denverpost.com

Brock on the block

Brock Osweiler is among the quarterbacks on the Broncos' radar:

School: Arizona State

Hometown: Kalispell, Mont.

Age: 21

The upside: At 6-foot-7, 245 pounds, he is the kind of big-framed pocket passer that Broncos executive John Elway likes. Osweiler is one of the youngest players on the board, set to turn 22 in November. In one full season as a starter, he passed for 4,036 yards. He has better mobility than most tall quarterbacks.

The downside: His delivery has been inconsistent, especially his release point, which would affect his accuracy. He started only 15 games in his career.

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